U.J.A. “crisis Mission” Returns from Israel; to Report to National Conference Next Month

October 26, 1949

NEW YORK (Oct. 25)

The “crisis mission” of the United Jewish Appeal, which has been in Israel conferring with leaders of the Government on the immigration crisis in that country and the extent of aid that will be required in 1950 from American Jews, arrived at Idlewild Airport today. The group will make an official report on their survey at the U.J.A. national conference in Atlantic City on Nov. 25 to 27 which will blueprint plans for the 1950 community campaigns on behalf of the U.J.A.

While in Israel, the Jewish communal leaders from major cities in the East and Middle West conferred with President Chaim Weizmann, Premier David Ben Gurion and other top officials. They were informed that unless large-scale assistance from the United States, through the United Jewish Appeal, is forthcoming in 1950, the entire immigration program in the Jewish state faces collapse.

(Harry Greenstein, retiring adviser on Jewish affairs to the American High Commissioner in Germany, John J. McCloy, who yesterday returned to Paris from Israel where he served as a member of the U.J.A. “crisis mission,” today left for Germany. Before he returned to his post, Mr. Greenstein, who is slated to finish his tour of duty in a few weeks, reported that there are 12,000 Jewish DP’s in the U.S. zone of Germany and 45,000 in all of Germany. At least 20,000 of them will leave for Israel, he asserted.)